A coalition of communist, socialist and left-wing activist organizations helped drive nearly two weeks of protests and a sprawling encampment in Madison, Wis., following the fatal police shooting of homeless man Corey Ruiz on July 22. The demonstrations later escalated into clashes with police, street fires and blocked intersections, according to local law enforcement and reporting by Fox News Digital.
Among the most prominent groups backing the protests are the Madison chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Freedom Inc., a Madison-based social justice nonprofit, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, a Marxist-Leninist political organization. These organizations have publicly backed the demonstrations, organized rallies, maintained an encampment at the shooting site and demanded the officer's arrest.
The initial protests erupted after police said officers responded to reports of theft before Ruiz fled on a bicycle. According to authorities, several officers caught up with Ruiz, who then pulled a knife, injured one officer during a struggle and was fatally shot by another officer. All four officers involved remain on administrative leave while the Wisconsin Department of Justice investigates the shooting.
Before city crews dismantled the encampment Tuesday morning, it had expanded to include dozens of tents, four portable toilets, food distribution areas and memorial displays. Organizers also brought a raised-fist sculpture from Minneapolis' George Floyd Square to the encampment.
What the Right Is Saying
National security experts quoted in the investigation said the mobilization reflects a broader pattern in which communist and socialist organizations have used local confrontations with law enforcement to build protest movements and advance broader political agendas. Earlier this year, reporting documented roughly $285 million flowing from Marxist tech entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham into a global network of nonprofits, activist organizations and media operations.
The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed three left-wing groups as part of an investigation into approximately $39 million tied to Singham's network. The committee is examining financial connections between these organizations and the broader activist ecosystem that national security experts say is coordinated through funding from sources abroad.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said in statements that his department would not be intimidated by protests and defended officers' actions during the July 22 encounter, noting that Ruiz pulled a knife during a struggle with police. The department has declined to publicly identify any of the four officers involved while investigations continue.
Conservative critics have argued that outside activist organizations exploit local tragedies to advance national political agendas, using inflammatory rhetoric that can lead to violence and property destruction rather than constructive dialogue about policing.
What the Left Is Saying
The Party for Socialism and Liberation has used its social media accounts to mobilize supporters with rhetoric referring to the officer involved as a 'killer cop.' The group has helped organize demonstrations, urged followers to 'take the streets' and pressured elected officials through coordinated phone and email campaigns demanding the officer's arrest.
Following city crews clearing the encampment Tuesday morning, the Party for Socialism and Liberation posted an Instagram video showing officers removing flowers, candles and memorial items from the intersection where Ruiz was shot. The accompanying caption accused city officials of protecting the officer, stating: 'Killer cop … is still walking free. Still on the streets. Still getting paid,' while identifying the officer by name.
Freedom Inc., another prominent organizer, publicly stated it bailed out dozens of protesters following recent arrests. Protesters have accused law enforcement of using excessive force and during several demonstrations drew parallels to the 2020 death of George Floyd while he was being restrained by Minneapolis police.
The groups have maintained that community members have a right to protest what they perceive as unjust uses of force by law enforcement against homeless individuals and other vulnerable populations.
What the Numbers Show
According to the Madison Police Department, the protests resulted in at least 22 arrests. Officers reported recovering a handgun from a juvenile protester arrested on unrelated charges. Police said protesters allegedly threw projectiles at city workers and set five street fires during demonstrations late Tuesday into Wednesday morning.
An investigation by Fox News Digital documented approximately $285 million flowing from Singham's network of organizations into various nonprofits, activist groups and media operations connected to communist and socialist causes. The House Oversight Committee is investigating roughly $39 million tied directly to the Singham-linked funding probe.
The protest encampment had grown to include dozens of tents, four portable toilets, food distribution areas and memorial displays before city crews dismantled it Tuesday morning. Organizers brought a raised-fist sculpture from Minneapolis' George Floyd Square to the site.
The Bottom Line
The Madison protests illustrate how national activist networks can quickly mobilize around local incidents involving law enforcement. All four officers involved in the Ruiz shooting remain on administrative leave while state investigators examine the encounter, which authorities say included a struggle during which Ruiz pulled a knife and injured an officer before being fatally shot.
What to watch: Whether the Wisconsin Department of Justice investigation results in criminal charges against any officers, how local officials respond to the involvement of outside activist organizations, and whether House committee investigations into funding sources yield additional information about connections between local protests and national political networks.